Eccentric float device for the automatic actuation of the check valve of the breathing pipes of diving masks or the like



July 21. 1964 STRADELLA ECCENTRIC FLOAT DEVICE FOR THE AUTOMATIC ACTUATION OF THE CHECK VALVE OF THE BREATHING PIPES OF DIVING MASKS OR THE LIKE Flled July 26, 1961 INVENTOR. Giuseppe Strodello Sparrow and Sparrow.

ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent 3,141,469 ECCENTRIC FLOAT DEVICE FOR THE AUTO- MATIC ACIUATION OF THE CHECK VALVE OF THE BREATHING PIPES OF DIVING MASKS OR THE LIKE Giuseppe Stradella, Via Roma 13, Genoa-Recco, Italy Filed July 26, 1961, Ser. No. 126,912 Claims priority, application Italy July 29, 1960 4 Claims. (Cl. 137-41) This invention relates to diving masks or the like, and more particularly to float-operated check valve members on the end of the breathing pipes of such diving masks.

Masks for facilitating seeing under water are in widespread use in underwater fishing. These masks have one or more breathing pipes, permitting a normal breathing through the nose when the user is swimming on the surface. In diving, it is, however, necessary to prevent the water from entering the breathing pipe (or pipes), and to that extent the upper end of said pipe usually is provided with a float valve which automatically shuts off. If the automatic operation is performed by virtue of the bouyancy thrust of a body, usually consisting of a cork body, the automatic closing only can be guaranteed when the breathing pipe is either in a vertical position or inclined near the vertical position within certain limits, but it would not work when it is in a horizontal, nearly horizontal or in an overturned position. This disadvantage is very troublesome in practice, because a diver who is swimming on the surface, that is, with a vertical or nearly vertical breathing pipe and with open float valve (the free end of the pipe being in the air), must first move his body into a vertical position when he wishes to dive suddenly. Thus, frequently, the mask is moved so as to cause a re-opening of the float valve after an initial closing, due to the overturning of the operating conditions of the float.

This disadvantage soon was recognized, and many systems trying to obviate same have been put on the market. Generally, these systems are based on the principle of having the valve member independent of the float, so that the former would no longer be pushed by the latter, even in case of an overturning of the breathing pipe in the water, while it would tend to remain in the closed posi tion due to water pressure. It is obvious that this type of closure cannot be considered stable and reliable. Indeed, the lightest exhaling of the diver from the inside of the mask will cause the valve to open, thus permitting water to enter freely. Therefore, these systems, although improved, are not perfect, and the problem had not yet been solved.

The device according to the invention is the result of an accurate study of the problem, and the present invention consists in the novel parts, construction arrangements, combinations and improvements as may be shown and described in connection with the apparatus herein disclosed by way of example only and as illustrative of a preferred embodiment.

Objects and advantages of the present invention will be set forth in part hereafter and in part will be obvious herefrom or may be learned by practicing the invention, the same being realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations pointed out in the appended claims.

It is an object of the present invention to provide contrivances for achieving a positive perfect closing of the valve regardless of the position to which the mask and the breathing pipe are moved.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a float member, actuating the valve which is designed to open and close the end of the breathing pipe, which is eccentrically rotatably mounted at the end of a fork.

3,1,469 Patented July 21, 1964 Furthermore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a float member having an outside contour positively engaging the valve member, said float member having a non-floating projection on the side which is opposite the valve-engaging side.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide means for permitting a complementary eccentric rotation of the float by virtue of the imbalance of same.

Various further and more specific purposes, features and advantages will clearly appear from the detailed description given below taken in connection with the accompanying drawing which forms part of this specification and illustrates merely by way of example one embodiment of the device of the invention. In the following description and in the claims, parts will be identified by specific names for convenience, but such names are intended to be as generic in their application to similar parts as the art will permit. Like reference characters denote like parts in the several figures of the drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation and a partly sectioned view of the device of the invention, showing the attached vertical breathing pipe in the vertical position;

FIG. 2 is a partial view of the lower end of the device, viewed in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a partial view of the device tilted in a vertical plane by approximately 90 with respect to the position of the device shown in FIG. 1.

Referring now more in detail to the drawing illustrating a preferred embodiment by which the invention may be realized, there is shown in FIG. 1 a cage 2 on the end of a breathing pipe 1 having the shape of an inverted 0. The cage 2 is adapted for receiving and guiding a valve member 3 which has a centering stem 4. The stem 4 is axially slidable, accurately guided in a central hole in the cover 5 which closes the end of the cage 2 on the side which is opposite to the one to which the pipe is connected. The cage 2 has openings or slots 6 on its periphery for the free passage of air, and it may be applied to the end of the pipe 1 or may be made integral therewith by molding it of plastic or any other suitable material. The cage 2, as shown, has a cylindrical shape, but it may have any other form as long as it will permit the operation of the device.

A fork 7 projects outwardly and downwardly from one side of the cage 2, preferably from the side which is opposite to the portion of the pipe 1 leading to the mask (not shown in the drawing). This fork 7 is adapted to carry at its end a pin 8 on which a second fork 9 is swingable mounted. On the two free ends of the swingable fork 9, pin 10 is located, on which a floating body or float 11 is eccentrically swingably mounted.

The float 11 has preferably a crescent shape and has a lower counterweight or imbalance projection or lug 12. The crescent-shaped portion of the float 11 is hollow, forming an air chamber. The remainder is solid and flat. Obviously, the hollow portion of the float always has the tendency to move upwardly, whereas the lug 12 hangs downwardly, in both air and water. The upper contour of the float 11 is slightly eccentric about the center of its rotation and is used as a cam for a positive direct control of the valve 3. To this extent, the lower end of the stem 4 engages this cam contour of the float 11.

The float 11 operates in two ways: first, by its vertical movement caused by the swinging of the fork 9 which supports it and which movement is caused by the thrust of the bouyancy, and second, by the rotary movement with respect to the breathing pipe when the latter is in an inclined position or is overturned. In this case, the cam configuration of the float becomes effective. Both the open and the closed valve positions are shown in FIG. 1,

3 the full lines showing the float in the downward hanging position whereby a stop 13 on the first fork 7 limits the amount of this downward movement to the amount that is necessary for opening the valve, whereas the dash lines indicate the lifted float having closed the valve.

If the breathing pipe becomes inclined, for example, 90 with respect to the position which is shown in FIG. 1, the float 11, as shown in FIG. 3, maintains its stable position while it rotates about the pin 10. It is not important nor relevant whether the fork 9 abuts against the stop 13 of the fork 7. The eccentricity of the float 11 is slightly greater than the necessary stroke for actuating the valve so that it is capable of keeping the valve positively closed. The reason for this greater eccentricity of the upper contour (the cam), which is, as mentioned above, greater than the operating stroke of the valve, is to prevent the float from reaching a dead point during the closing movement. This assures a positive action during the final stage of the closing and at the same time prevents the float from being locked. Thus, it always can respond quickly to any change of the position of the breathing pipe. In order to enhance this feature, fork 9 may be made of such length that the circle which is described by the center of the pin 10 during the swinging movement thereof does not intersect the centerline of the valve assembly, but rather is located before this centerline, that is, between this latter and the pin 8.

The shape of the float 11 may be varied as long as it retains the important characteristic of being imbalanced, slightly eccentric and cam-shaped in its upper contour. Likewise, the shape of the valve and of the valve seat, the latter shown as a protruding annular ring for preventing water drops from entering the breathing pipe, can be varied. It is obvious that the location and the design must be such as to close the end of the breathing pipe 1.

While the invention has been described and illustrated with respect to a certain preferred example which gives satisfactory results, it will be understood by those skilled in the art after understanding the principle of the invention, that various other changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, and it is intended therefore in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications.

I claim:

1. Breathing apparatus comprising a valve member axially slidable within a slotted cage on the end of a breathing pipe to be opened and closed, said cage supporting on one side thereof a downwardly projecting first fork which in turn pivotally supports a second fork which is adapted to mount an actuating float by means of a pin which passes through a hole in the body of the float so that said float will rotate with a given eccentricity, the mounting of the float being such that a zone thereof positively engages the surface of the valve member, the float being provided on the side which is opposite to the Zone which is engaged by the valve member, which zone comprises an air chamber, with a non-floatable solid projection or lug, said lug serving to unbalance the float, means limiting the pivotal movement of said second fork to a range such that the eccentric movement of said float maintains the positive engagement with said valve due to the upward pivotal movement of the float and second fork resulting from bouyancy, complemented by an eccentric rotation resulting from the inherent tendency of a particular orientation of the float, so that the closure of the valve will be always positive and therefore stable as desired regardless of the position to which said breathing pipe is moved.

2. Breathing apparatus according to claim 1, and said slotted cage constituting an integrally molded part of said breathing pipe.

3. Breathing apparatus according to claim 1, and said valve having a stem protruding outwardly of said slotted cage, said stern engaging the surface of said float.

4. Breathing apparatus according to claim 3, and said Zone of said float having a cam contour, said cam contour engaged by said stem of said valve.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 208,829 Kurz Oct. 8, 1878 279,685 Zane June 19, 1883 2,815,751 Ferraro Dec. 10, 1957 

1. BREATHING APPARATUS COMPRISING A VALVE MEMBER AXIALLY SLIDABLE WITHIN A SLOTTED CAGE ON THE END OF A BREATHING PIPE TO BE OPENED AND CLOSED, SAID CAGE SUPPORTING ON ONE SIDE THEREOF A DOWNWARDLY PROJECTING FIRST FORK WHICH IN TURN PIVOTALLY SUPPORTS A SECOND FORK WHICH IS ADAPTED TO MOUNT AN ACTUATING FLOAT BY MEANS OF A PIN WHICH PASSES THROUGH A HOLE IN THE BODY OF THE FLOAT SO THAT SAID FLOAT WILL ROTATE WITH A GIVEN ECCENTRICITY, THE MOUNTING OF THE FLOAT BEING SUCH THAT A ZONE THEREOF POSITIVELY ENGAGES THE SURFACE OF THE VALVE MEMBER, THE FLOAT BEING PROVIDED ON THE SIDE WHICH IS OPPOSITE TO THE ZONE WHICH IS ENGAGED BY THE VALVE MEMBER, WHICH ZONE COMPRISES AN AIR CHAMBER, WITH A NON-FLOATABLE SOLID PROJECTION OR LUG, SAID LUG SERVING TO UNBALANCE THE FLOAT, MEANS LIMITING THE PIVOTAL MOVEMENT OF SAID SECOND FORK TO A RANGE SUCH THAT THE ECCENTRIC MOVEMENT OF SAID FLOAT MAINTAINS THE POSITIVE ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID VALVE DUE TO THE UPWARD PIVOTAL MOVEMENT OF THE FLOAT AND SECOND FORK RESULTING FROM BOUYANCY, COMPLEMENTED BY AN ECCENTRIC ROTATION RESULTING FROM THE INHERENT TENDENCY OF A PARTICULAR ORIENTATION OF THE FLOAT, SO THAT THE CLOSURE OF THE VALVE WILL BE ALWAYS POSITIVE AND THEREFORE STABLE AS DESIRED REGARDLESS OF THE POSITION TO WHICH SAID BREATHING PIPE IS MOVED. 